Description: "This book tells the story of the rise and fall of the first civil rights era, viewed through the lens of action in the US Congress. The first civil rights era, as we define it, extends from 1861 through 1918, or from the Civil War through the First World War. During that time the formal status of African Americans shifted from slave to citizen and then to something in between. This distinctive path was largely determined by laws and, later, failed laws in Congress. Many books tell the story of African Americans during these years. Our book is explicitly about how the arc of civil rights was determined by Congress over these five decades and more. While there are some excellent accounts for particular periods, such as the Civil War or Reconstruction, we believe ours is the most systematic examination of congressional decision making on civil rights during this long and crucial period"--
Brief description:
Jeffery A. Jenkins is the Provost Professor of Public Policy, Political Science, and Law, the Judith and John Bedrosian Chair of Governance and the Public Enterprise, director of the Bedrosian Center, and director of the Political Institutions and Political Economy Collaborative at University of Southern California.
Review Quotes: "Congress and the First Civil Rights Era, 1861-1918 is a detailed history of congressional developments during the era of Reconstruction, one of the most significant civil rights periods of U.S. history...The book provides no less than awe inspiring detail about proposals, bills, sponsors, debates, votes, and ever-shifting party alliances and disputes...Congress and the First Civil Rights Era is ideal for historians with the desire for an in-depth look at what happened step by step in Congress during Reconstruction."-- "Journal of American History"